Did your kids get way too much candy for Halloween? My youngest daughter, Alexis, did. (See my Facebook live video from Halloween night).
Well, you can help preserve your child’s health – and teach him or her a lesson about money at the same time.
The National Financial Educators Council is encouraging parents of trick-or-treaters to substitute cash for candy now that all that Halloween junk food is just sitting around waiting to be eaten by your kid (or by you)!
It’s fine to let your child have sweet treats now and again, but be honest: on and after Halloween, the candy consumption reaches epic levels and gorging on all that stuff in such mass quantities simply isn’t healthy.
So instead of letting your child risk cavities, poor dietary habits or obesity, support the National Financial Educators Council’s #CashForCandy campaign.
It has two goals: to promote financial literacy and wellbeing among youth and improve their physical wellness at the same time.
As a parent or adult, here’s what you can do:
Simply buy back candy from your child or other young people you know.
Exchange cash for the candy they collected, and use the opportunity to start teaching the child a money management lesson – any lesson about money: saving, spending, investing, donating, budgeting, entrepreneurship or whatever.
Need some ideas about what to teach? The NFEC has free worksheets and activities available for families who want to help mold positive financial behaviors in their children.
By the way, did you know that up until the late 1940s and 1950s, Halloween trick-or-treaters received all kinds of goodies, not just candy? Back then, money, toys, nuts, fruit, and cookies were typical Halloween treats.
During the 1960s, when kids rang their neighbors’ doorbells trick-or-treating, most adults still doled out items other than candy,
It wasn’t until the 1970s that candy manufacturers started a huge marketing push and candy began to take over the Halloween tradition, according to research by The Atlantic.
Again, some candy is perfectly fine. But moderation is the key.
Besides, a little money in your kid’s piggy bank – and a financial lesson to go along with it – is far healthier all around in the long run.
